#man I had to shade this because this face angle looked awful in flat colors

[caliblorn]

I saw you reblog the milf mannequin dressing gown post.

Just leave this ask in your inbox to remind you that many people are eagerly awaiting the art drawn from that ref.

👁👁

JNSDGFBYDGF YOU SNIFFED ME OUT DIDN'T YOU. Ok ok here it is. It's not a milf tho, would you like the milf version too?

[captainkappa]

Fanfic:: Falling

Besides, leaving means going back to an empty ship. Leaving means counting down the days until he saw Grogu again. Leaving means counting down until he could come with a good enough excuse to come back to Tatooine.

Din doesn’t want to leave. Not just yet.

AO3 Link

Do you remember this post I wrote about Din Cobb going to see Space Cherry Blossoms? Well I wrote a whole fic about it! It’s pure fluff and pining, I hope you enjoy!

And a huge thanks to @staranon95 for betaing!

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Do you want to go for a ride?”

Din hasn’t meant to offer it. He knows that opening that gate would open others, but in the shade of Din’s new ship the  Mudhorn , Cobb leaning against his speeder to say good-bye, it slips out. During the job this time, Cobb had finally put into words Din had suspected, that he’d had never been off Tatooine, which isn’t that surprising when you consider the culture of Tatooine is scraping by for your next meal.

Cobb freezes for a moment. “You sure? You don’t have someplace to be?”

“No, I can spare a few.”

He’s not wrong. He’s not on contract from the guild, he probably has a couple of days before Bo-Katan contacts him again for the saber, his calendar is blissfully free. Besides, leaving means going back to an empty ship. Leaving means counting down the days until he saw Grogu again. Leaving means counting down until he could come with a good enough excuse to come back to Tatooine.

Din doesn’t want to leave. Not just yet.

The smile that Cobb has threatens to blind him. “Alright, lemme comm the town, tell them I’ll be back a little later.”

Cobb steps away and Din takes this as his chance to take a breath. He’s doing this, he’s just going to bring Cobb up to see a brand new planet then back to Tatooine before Mos Pelgo can miss him.

That’s it.

He lowers the ramp and packs up the supplies he got while on planet. It’s busy work that he can use to distract himself from thinking about how Cobb fought today, ruthless in the face of the slaver camp they came across, how the new durasteel armor hugs him in all the right places. Taking inventory should prevent his thoughts from drifting to how Cobb tilts his head back to laugh, the way he smiles when he gets an idea, and how he held out his hand to help Din up after the fight was over.

That is, until a thought pops into his head. Not only a thought, a planet, a planet he thinks he might want to show Cobb, someone who’s only used to the sand plains of Tatooine. He none so gently kicks the final crate into the hold before going to the cockpit. He plugs the coordinates in, just to see how the hyperspace lanes look.  

He blinks at the screen showing them optimal for a quick trip. No traffic, no anomalies sending them off course. It’s the perfect storm for space travel.

He glances at Cobb, still talking with Jo or Issa-Or. He turns back and pulls out a busted datapad and checks one more thing about the planet in mind.

He was right; it’s peak season.

He leans back in his chair, allowing himself to be selfish and look at Cobb. Is this the Force? He’s had conversations with his son’s teachers since he got his frequency and he still doesn’t understand it entirely, but is this what the Force is? Pulling him to this conclusion that it’d be a crime to pass on the opportunity?

His thought process is interrupted by Cobb’s light steps up the ramp. His eyes wander the whole breadth of the ship, drinking it all in, before finally landing on him. His gaze is so bright, Din has to fight the urge to fidget.

“Alright, so what’s the plan, partner? Quick trip up and down?

“Actually, if you have time,” he starts, sounding more confident than he feels, “there’s a planet not too far away we could visit.”

Cobb tears his gaze away from the hull to look at him, eyes full of restrained emotion.

“Really?”

Din swallows, not knowing why his throat feels so dry. “Yeah. There’s a hyperspace lane freed up. Two hours there and back.”

“That easy?” And Cobb clamps his lips shut and Din can see where he’s coming from. The freedom of space is enticing. He’d be lying if there hadn’t been a day or two in his youth when he just wanted to forgo a bounty to just explore.

He nods, giving Cobb the time to consider.

“Two hours?” he parrots and Din nods again. Cobb considers this for only a moment before saying, “Ah, what the hell, once in a lifetime opportunity, right?”

“Alright.” Din hopes Cobb can’t tell how hard he’s smiling as he starts up the ship.

The ship rumbles beneath his feet, a familiar sensation. Cobb, on the other hand, jumps five feet out of his seat when the ship around them starts to move.

“Sorry,” Din says before Cobb can get a word in edgewise. Should’ve thought of that. “I’m gonna have us start climbing now, okay?”

Cobb manages a nod. Din pulls up on the controls and the ship is airborne. He lets the control tower know they’re leaving before pushing the ship to accelerate to break the atmosphere. He keeps turning his head to face Cobb, whose eyes are plastered to the viewport.

This time he warns Cobb what he’s doing, trying to remember how it felt the first time he entered hyperspace.

“It might… feel weird,” he explains as he plugs in the hyperspace coordinates.

Cobb snorts. “Very descriptive, partner, thank you kindly for the warning.”

Din huffs out a laugh before pulling the lever back, watching as the familiar blues of hyperspace fill the cockpit window. There’s a sudden gasp from his left and he turns to look at Cobb, to make sure he’s okay.

He hasn’t been expecting tears. Silent, quiet tears falling down Cobb’s cheeks. It makes Din’s throat close up with want. What he wants, he’s not sure. Want to bring Cobb with him? Cobb wouldn’t want that with his roots already set down in Tatooine; the politics of Mandalore wouldn’t appeal to him.

Or at least, that’s what Din tells himself, avoiding any consideration of the opposite because what if it wasn’t that Cobb wouldn’t leave Tatooine, but that he wouldn’t leave  with Din .

Din has had too much heartbreak for one lifetime. He doesn’t think he could handle much more.

He tells Cobb he’s free to wander the ship, but Cobb just nods, eyes transfixed. Din settles in himself. He’ll leave the cockpit if Cobb asks, but he really hopes he doesn’t.

-=-

As predicted, the flight is short and soon they are out of hyperspace. From space, the planet is a motley of colors, but Din angles for the dot of pink that grows larger and larger as they enter the atmosphere. Cobb’s eyes never leave the viewport as the planet widens before their eyes, details coming into focus. First, its coastlines, then mountains that disappear with the curve of the planet, then the natural borders of biomes, then thick forests of multicolored trees, until they arrive at the patch Din had thought of.

They touch down on a flat patch of earth, no official landing strip for miles. Din flicks the last switch before turning to Cobb. His eyes haven’t left the window, hands in fists in his lap.

“Cobb?”

Cobb jumps, turning to his voice.

“Are you ready?”

Cobb blinks. “We can head on the planet? Just like that?”

“Yeah,” Din says, standing up. “There’s no major space port here, mostly uninhabited on this side. We’re not breaking any laws.”

The other man chuckles. “Not worked about law breakin’.”

“Then c’mon. There’s more to see.”

He nods and falls in step with Din, wide eyes never leaving the tops of the trees. Din allows himself a moment to look as well. The trees stand at least another person taller than both of them, branches full of fluffy bright pink blooms. Even with the branches looking as full as they are, there’s a thick carpet of pink under their feet, decompressing with every step.

Cobb finally breaks his silent awe. “Are they…always this color?”

Din shakes his head. “The flowers fall and grow back a different color for each season. Last time I was here they were blue.”

Cobb breaks away from their twinned steps to walk up closer to one of the trees. Din watches as he feels the bark between his fingers, reaches up to feel the silky textures of the petals and Din’s heart seizes with what could be; traveling together and visiting planets Cobb could never conceive of. Din wants to hand the galaxy to Cobb and ask where he wants to go, because if there is one person who deserves a little reverence and adventure, it’s Cobb, who cares so much for the people around him but so little for himself.

“Wait for me,” Din says, as he nearly loses sight of the man.

“We just landed on an alien planet, and you want me to wait?”

“Don’t want to lose track of you. I could easily mistake you for a tree.”

Cobb snorts, pushing on one of his pauldrons before breaking away, keeping a closer distance this time.

A breeze blows through and shakes the branches, loose petals are thrown into the air, twisting and twirling in the air, but Din only has eyes for Cobb. Cobb, with eyes wide, head tilted up to try and take it all in. Gentle pink petals catch in gray hair and that red scarf and Din can barely breathe for a second.

“It’s beautiful,” Cobb says, his gaze to the sky.

“Yeah,” Din says, eyes never leaving Cobb.

Cobb’s eyes sweep the valley before stopping on him.

He stifles a laugh. “I think you have some petals in your…”

Din looks down and sees the petals have caught in the junctures of his armor.

“Here, lemme help you.”

Din looks up and Cobb is suddenly much closer, fingers brushing in the spaces between armor, where the flight suit suddenly feels as thin as silk for all it keeps out the heat of Cobb’s fingers.

“There we go,” Cobb says with one last brush of his fingers.

“You too.” Pink dots Cobb’s salt and pepper hair. Before Cobb can move and before Din can properly think his actions through, he’s bringing gloved hands up to Cobb to gently brush the petals away. He’s thought of this before, but without the gloves on, hands lingering in the gray strands, wanting to know if they’re as soft as they lookl, or are there grains of sand lost between them?

Cobb’s eyes close for a moment and Din takes the second to drink him all in, at the freckle under his eye, the way his hair has shifted in the breeze. It’s only for a second before he’s looking into familiar hazel again.

And Din realizes just how close they’ve gotten.

“C’mon,” Din says, clearing his throat when his voice comes out rougher than he anticipates, “One thing I want to show you.”

Cobb’s face breaks into a familiar grin. “Something else? Mando, I’m startin’ to feel spoiled.”

You deserve it.

Din takes a step back, nodding, before gesturing to follow him. He leads them through the seemingly endless forest, guided by muscle memory of the last time a bounty brought him here and his HUD showing how the terrain changes.

It’s a short walk from where Din remembers it, the lake where he finally caught that bounty. The water is covered in petals so that it nearly blends in with the ground. Din pauses just before the ground turns to mud. He turns to explain the circumstances of finding the place, when he realizes Cobb is still walking forward.

“Wait!” Din throws out a hand to grab him by the elbow pulling him back. Cobb is immediately on alert, thinking there’s something dangerous. Instead of explaining, Din pulls a rock from the ground and throws it into the lake in front of them. The impact sends the petals on the surface rocking in the waves, revealing the dirty green water they had been covering.

Cobb blinks, staring at the ripples.

“Maker,” he whispers. “I ain’t never seen that much water, let alone covered like that.”

Din nods. Silence descends like the falling flowers as he lets Cobb explore the area, throw more stones into the lake, and watch how the petals shift on the lake.

Suddenly Din is reminded of something his buir taught him, back before the covert had relocated to Nevarro, when they were on a grassy planet with what felt like a million lakes.

He looks down at the shoreline and it doesn’t take long to find what he’s looking for.

“Cobb!” His head snaps up, rock slipping from his fingers to crash near his feet. Din bites back the smile on his face as he says, “Watch this.”

He crouches down, curls his finger around the flat rock in his hand, and lets it go. It skips twice on the water before disappearing. Cobb crows in delight at the first skip, eyes glued to its movements.

“What kind of Mando training lets you do that?”

“That’s not Mandalorian training,” Din says, helmet already tilted to find another rock. “Besides, that was shit. I can get nine skips on a good day.”

“Bantha shit,” Cobb says and Din looks up and sees a smile that looks like a challenge.

“Well, with the flowers in the way-”

“No, no, no backpedaling now,” he points a determined finger in Din’s direction. “You promised me nine skips, I want to see it.”

“Alright,” he says, stooping down to really start looking for the perfect rock. He pulls off his gloves in the process, sticking them in his belt.

He stands up with a couple of decently flat rocks. He weighs the first in his hand, before dipping low and letting it fly. It gets five skips before slipping underneath the surface. Cobb lets out a low whistle.

“Here,” he says, handing a stone to the other man. “Try it.”

Cobb hesitates only for a moment before taking the stone, fingers brushing. Din coaches him through the movements, shaping his fingers around the stone, showing him how to get the right angle by crouching down low.

Cobb’s eyes never leave his hands, but his first throw sinks like a rock. Din gets a good six skips.

“Try again,” Din says, already handing Cobb a new rock before he can let loose the expletive he knows is behind his tongue.

The sun is low in the sky, casting a warm red light over them by the time Cobb can skip the stone more than once and Din can get a stone to skim the water ten times before going under. The look Cobb gave him when he finally got a stone to skip once is one Din knows he’ll remember for a while.

The walk back is quiet, both men exhausted after a long day. Was it just this morning that he and Cobb flushed out a group of slavers? Can a day feel so long and yet so short?

What if he has more days like this?

He shakes his head as the ramp to the ship lowers. They’re friends, that’s all. He’s not about to mess up a good thing, one of the rare good things he’s managed to hold onto since giving up Grogu.

He’s about to step up when he feels a hand on his arm. He stops and turns to face Cobb, who looks so earnest in the light of the setting sun, it hurts.

“Din, thank you.”

“It’s no-”

“No, really. Thank you, for all of this. I never… I used to dream about leaving Tatooine as a younger man, but I-I could never think of anything like this.”

Din nods, because if he tries to clear his now dry throat, tries to string two words together, he’s going to regret it. He’s going to say something like “stay with me” or “can I go home with you” conversations that will end in disaster.

Or at least, that’s what Din tells himself as he watches Cobb walk into the ship. Din lets out a steady breath before following.

Take off goes smoother this time, Cobb being more prepared for the feelings and sounds. This time, Cobb breaks his gaze from space to ask about the ship, how it functions and its name.

Space travel has never felt so fast. It feels like the next minute he’s bringing the ship down onto the familiar yellow sands of Tatooine.

The ramp of the  Mudhorn  lowers, a small puff of sand kicks up. Neither man moves.

“Well, until next time, Marshal.”

“Of course, don’t be a stranger. And thank you, again.”

But still, neither one of them moves. Din’s about to ask if something’s wrong when Cobb steps close.

“Please don’t tell me I’m reading this wrong.”

Before Din can ask, Cobb reaches for his hand, bringing it up to his mouth so fast it looks more like he’s punching himself with Din’s fist rather than kissing his knuckles. Cobb pulls back just as quickly, back ramrod straight as he takes Din in.

“Don’t feel obligated-”

“I’m not-Maker, you are dense sometimes, aren’t ya?” Din’s about to contest that but Cobb keeps going. “I’ve damn near been in love with ya since you flew out of that dragon’s mouth! Your visits make my month and I… I wouldn’t be opposed if they weren’t always for business.”

“Cobb-”

He makes to pull back. “If I misread the situation, then my apologies, but-”

Din squeezes tight on his hand. “You didn’t.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I… I don’t show just everyone planets full of flowers.”

Cobb breaks into a grin. “Well next time you take me out on a date, let me know it’s a date so I can get dressed up.”

Next time . Din likes the sound of that.

“It’s a date.”

[crossbows-and-moonshine]

Such a Softer Sin (Chapter twenty four)

(Chapter one)     (Chapter two)     (Chapter three)     (Chapter four)

(Chapter five)     (Chapter six)     (Chapter seven)     (Chapter eight)

(Chapter nine)     (Chapter ten)     (Chapter eleven)     (Chapter twelve)

(Chapter thirteen)     (Chapter fourteen)     (Chapter fifteen)

(Chapter sixteen)     (Chapter seventeen)     (Chapter eighteen)

(Chapter nineteen)     (Chapter twenty)     (Chapter twenty one)

(Chapter twenty two)      (Chapter twenty three)

The boys confess their sins, Murphy worries about judgement and feels conflicted, and they have some wonderful MacManus interaction on the way home. Love the brotherly fluff in this one.

Let me know if you guys want some more Connor and Murphy fluff mixed in here. I try to sprinkle it in but they're never really away from the girl. :’)

I know I’ve already completed the series, but I’m open to changing and adding things that you guys want!

This one is part one of this fine Sunday. I had to split it from the next one since it would be way too long as one big chapter.

----------------------------

The next day was Sunday, it was the brothers favourite day of the week for a number of reasons. The three had a set routine on Sundays, the boys going to early mass, leaving a sleeping Lila behind. They’d come back to her cooking breakfast for them which was always amazing. Then they'd lay in bed, Connor lay propped up against the pillows with his legs spread, Lila lay between them with her back to his chest. Murphy would lay between Lilas' legs on his side, his head on her stomach and his hand stroking her thigh as she read them one of Connors books. Connor loved the fact the lass loved to read, just like he did. Having something in common with her. He loved it when they discussed books or she recommended some to him, or when they had a good debate about one. Murphy wasn't a reader, he was a writer. He’d always struggled to read since his attention span wasn't great. He would get lost in his own thoughts and not be able to focus on the words on the page, it would frustrate him to no end and he would just give up. But hearing Lila read to them, her smooth as silk voice as she read the words, it had his undivided attention and he found himself enjoying literature properly for the first time. At around 11, Lila would always untangle herself from the boys to get the Sunday roast started. It was always a fucking feast and it was delicious. Rocco would come to eat with them without fail and a few times Aileen and Doc had come over too, Doc bringing some extra chairs for them to sit at the table. It was always a tight squeeze when it was the 6 of them at the table, but it felt like a real family and they all loved it.

The boys would always ask her on Saturday night if she would accompany them to early mass the next morning, which was always met with a ‘no thanks’ straight away. They would be a little disappointed but never show it, it wasn't exactly a game changer for them, they would still love her regardless. They knew she had been through a lot of things in her life, and she had mentioned in passing how she hadn't attended church since her father was murdered. She hadn't made peace with God for that yet, that much was obvious, and even if she never did, the boys wouldn't ever judge her for it. She was never rude or disrespectful about their faith, she never mocked them when they said a quick thanks to God before their family meals, or acted like she judged them for their faith. Hell, they even caught her crossing herself and muttering a ‘Mother Mary full of grace’ a few times after taking the Lord's name in vain, which made them grin to each other at how they were rubbing off on her. It wasn't that she had no faith at all, she wouldn't bother crossing herself if that was the case because she wouldn't care, she just hadn't forgiven God for hurting her and her family yet. The boys couldn't imagine what it was like, they had never been in that position before, of having someone you loved taken away from them so cruelly, to feel that heavy grief. Murphy recalled the night she came to the loft in hysterics after her granda had died, when he himself had cried to Connor, asking him brokenly why she had to go through this. ‘Christ Connor, why her? Why does she have te go through this?’ He himself had questioned God's logic behind the whole thing, despite his unwavering faith, he had pleaded with the big man upstairs to ease her pain, to fucking give it to him instead so he could carry the heavy burden on his shoulders, just so she didn't have to. God worked in mysterious ways sometimes, and sometimes those ways left you in pain. It was always harder when you didn't understand why it had happened, but they were just mere mortals, they weren't supposed to fully understand God.

The night before though, they had been watching tv on the couch. Lila was sat with her back to Connor, his body angled so she was settled between his legs and he had his arms wrapped around her, hand over her heart. She had her legs over Murphy and he was stroking her legs. When Connor had asked once more if she would come with them the next morning, they felt her tense. She was actually quiet, as if contemplating rather than just giving them an instant flat out no, which made them hopeful. She didn't say anything, just shook her head softly, her eyes never leaving the tv. Murphy could see her face with being the one facing her, he could tell she wasn't really watching tv, she just couldn't meet their eyes. Both boys, despite touching her, couldn't feel her, like she was blocking them. They could have easily delved inside her mind, they were more experienced than her and they doubted she would be very good at keeping them out. But they would never betray her trust like that, after all, like Murphy had told her, it's invasive. It was one thing for the brothers to do it to each other, but it was another for them to do it to her. To just go in uninvited and know what she was thinking about the whole thing. Despite her saying no, they still smiled at each other, because she had hesitated, she had actually thought about it, and that was a step forward. They felt that maybe soon she would join them, come back into the church and re-find her faith in God again.

The boys had gone about their usual routine, slipping out of bed with a kiss to the girl's cheek as she slept. They got dressed in silence and left as they went to mass. They sat through the service, respectful, thoughtful, thrumming with energy that only their faith could give them. They always felt more alive after mass. They waited for confession afterwards. They didn't go every week to confession, the requirement by the Catholic church was at least once a month, taking your lovely list of sins with you. The boys went at least once every two weeks though, depending on their sinful ways that week. They could wait and go once a month like most other people, but the twins could never feel settled until they were squared away with God, back in his good books.

Murphy paced a little as he waited for his turn, he was fidgety and anxious and it made Connor snort a little, the light-haired twin stood there as cool as a cucumber. He knew Murphy was anxious about confessing their amazing time with Lila, they were unmarried after all. It wasn't like they had not confessed to things like this before, they would always have to confess after they'd been will a lass since it was out of wedlock. But Murphy felt this was so much worse somehow, because he loved her. In Connors' eyes, it made it better, that they genuinely loved her, and although they couldn't marry her since there were two of them, he knew they would marry her if they had the chance to do so, the intent was there, he felt like it was good enough for God because he wouldn't have sent her to them in the first place otherwise.

But Murphy felt weird about the whole thing, about not being able to marry her, about he and his brother both being in love with a lass they'd both never get to put a ring on. He hadn't really thought about it until the confessional was glaring at him like a siren in the night. The night before, he had been proud, publicly claiming her as theirs and wanting the world to know it. Yet here, in the light of day in the House of the Lord, it weighed heavy on him. He was worried. Worried of being judged by the priest, by God, he was worried he was condemning Lila to hell for being with them, that Connor would be too. He was always in his own damn head too much, worrying about everything, overthinking things. That was why Connor graciously let his brother go first, knowing he'd probably keel over and die of anxiety if he had to wait. The person in the booth slipped out and Murphy looked to his brother for reassurance. Connor reached out, squeezing his neck a little and giving him a nod. Murphy took a deep inhale and walked into the booth, shutting the door behind him as he sat down and crossed himself, his hand clutching his rosary so tight he thought it might cut into his hand.

“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been two weeks since me last confession…”

The boys left the church after confession feeling better, once again squared away with the big man and feeling good. They always felt a buzz thrumming through their veins after church. They slid on their shades, getting their smokes out and lighting them in smooth synchronization. Passersby looked at them curiously. There was something about the brothers, their confidence, their faith… fucking something, but it commanded authority and people looked on with slight awe of them.

“Penances?” Connor asked, looking to his brother carefully before inhaling his smoke. Murphy rubbed his lower lip in thought, glancing to his brother sheepishly before looking back out in front of him and taking a drag of his smoke.

“20 Hail Marys.” He muttered, amusement coloring his words as his ears turned pink. Connor barked out a loud laugh as he looked at his brother, some people looking on amused at the pair.

“20?! How the fuck ye manage that one?!” He asked incredulously. Murphy snorted, shaking his head as he blushed deeper.

“Fuck off! I fucked the lass out o’ wedlock remember, ye only got yer cock sucked.” He retorted, shooting his brother a playful look. It made Connor laugh louder, slapping his brother on the back.

“Aye, that I fuckin’ did brother.” He smirked, inhaling his smoke again. Murphy glanced curiously to his brother, licking his lower lip.

“How many ye get?” He asked as he quirked a brow at him.

“10.” He grinned, looking all innocent like butter wouldn't fucking melt, Murphy just scowled at him, huffing as he shook his head, Connor laughing at him once more.

“Hope ye told him ye had yer cock sucked whilst yer own brother was eatin’ her out and had his fingers inside o’ her.” Murphy smirked devilishly as he pointed at him, smoke dangling from his fingers, Connor choked on the smoke in his lungs and Murphy snorted loudly at him. Connor looked to him with wide eyes, actually blushing and Murphy cackled evilly at him.

“Jesus Murphy! O’ course I did, what's the point in confessin’ if we don't fuckin’ confess?!” He asked with an incredulous laugh, still not believing his brothers choice of words. He crossed himself for his own use of words before his brother could chide him with a ‘Lords fuckin’ name’. His face was flushed and Murphy knew he had definitely told the priest, he knew himself just how awkward that shit was. Murphy laughed, leaning into Connor as the lighter haired twin slung his arm around his shoulder as they made their way home to the girl who had lead them to confession.

They didn't regret it though, they both knew God had sent her their way. They knew it was unconventional, the three of them. It wasn't exactly a typical Catholic thing, no plans to marry, two guys and one lass. But they knew, deep inside of them, unwavering and full of faith, this was God's work. He didn't always work the way you expected him to. The boys were their own people of course, but at the same time, they were like two sides of the same coin, like one soul split between two bodies, twin flames as it were. So it seemed fitting that their soulmate would be one lass. One amazing lass who could handle the both of them, who could encroach their twin bond in some divine inhuman way. It had to be God's work. They may have wondered if they only loved her, but the bond they shared, the fact she shared in their twin connection, there was no possible explanation other than something of the supernatural kind. And that was all the reassurance they needed.

When they entered the loft, they were met with the wonderful smell of breakfast and the glorious sight of their girl in Murphy's shirt and nothing else as she cooked for them. It made their chest swell as they hung their rosaries up and shucked off their coats. She turned to look at them, giving them her bright smile and they had no choice but to return it. Murphy went straight to her, as usual, and kissed her sweetly on the lips as his brother made his way over near them. She moved over to him, kissing him much like how Murphy had kissed her, before going to plate up the food as the boys sat at the table.

“How did it go?” She asked with a wry smile, as if she knew exactly what they had said to the priest. She did. She had been there and part of the sinning after all. The brothers glanced to each other, smirking slightly and Connor wiped a hand over his face, once again feeling his cheeks burn. Lila had to stop herself from laughing at actually seeing Connor blush.

“Went fine m’girl. We’re good with the big man, all's right with the world.” Murphy grinned at her, giving her a cheeky wink that made her laugh. She brought the plates over and sat down.

“Mhm...I’m sure God's gonna smite me for corrupting his two favorite Irishmen.” She snorted, glancing at them both. The boys shared a look before looking back at her.

“Trust me lass, we’ve long been corrupted. Don't be worryin’ yer pretty little head about us and God.” He smiled warmly at her. Connor and Murphy bowed their heads in prayer before the food, as they always did. Lila usually just watched in awe of the brothers and their unwavering faith. But today, she too bowed her head, thanking the big guy upstairs for gracing her with two beautiful souls to keep her on the right path. When the boys were done, they didn't mention the fact she too had prayed, they knew it would make her feel uncomfortable and close off. But they were happy with the turn of events.

They all started to dig into their food, the boys moaning in appreciation. The lass was one hell of a cook, they hadn't eaten so well since they left Ireland. The boys would never tell their Ma but Lila was an even better cook. But that news would surely warrant the woman flying over and beating the holy hell out of them both, so they'd just keep it between each other.

“Ye know love, ye should come with us next week te mass.” Murphy said casually, glancing at her. Connor squinted a little at him, not wanting him to push her, lest she push back twice as hard. The lass was already considering it, she didn't need pushing into it. Murphy looked to his twin, no words needed and Connor sighed as he continued to eat. Murphy for some reason, still weirdly hung up about their relationship, thought that maybe Lila coming back to the church might help somehow. Connor didn't know what was wrong with him, it had been him that first said the girl was sent to them by God, now out of nowhere he seemed worried of being judged and condemned to hell for his sins. Or more like Lila would be, the poor boy seemed worried about her soul more than his own.

Lila sighed a little, pushing the food around on her plate as she looked between the brothers, seeing them having some kind of mental conversation after Murphy's words. Words that hung heavy in the air. She had been thinking about it. She had not been to the church since her dad was killed, despite her mother trying relentlessly. But she still felt abandoned by God after the things she had been through, more so after her granda died. But when she looked at these two amazingly devout men, something stirred inside of her. Her granda would have died whether or not they had been in her life, but they had been by her side, they had helped her through it. And she knew she wouldn't have been able to move past it on her own. It was like God knew she would need someone, and he sent her his two best angels to wrap her in their protective wings. And as the days wore on, she found herself becoming more grateful to God for sending them to her. As if it was somehow making up for his earlier treatment of her. She knew it was only fair she went and said thanks after all. She missed the feeling of church. Even as a child she was strong in her faith and she went even during weekdays to mass or chat to the priest with her father. Church felt like home to her, it made her feel safe and soothed her soul in a way she couldn't even begin to describe.

The twins looked to her anxiously, her silence unsettled them and Murphy kicked himself for even speaking, the look Connor was giving him did not help any, his brother was annoyed at him.

“Okay.” She said softly after what felt like forever. The boys sat up straighter, looking at her surprised, they hadn't expected it to be that easy.

“Are ye sure lass, ye don’t have te just ‘cause Murph’s pushin’ ye.” Connor said carefully, shooting his twin a look. Murphy had the decency to look contrite and chewed his lower lip.

“I’m sure. I’ve been thinking about it anyway. I haven't had much reason to go...with everything that went on. Da… granda...but now I have something to thank him for...well two things actually.” She smiled softly, her cheeks blushing as she looked down at her plate. She couldn't look at them when such sappy words were leaving her mouth. What a fucking girl.

Murphy swallowed thickly, the weight of her words looming over him and he fought the urge to cry like a fucking little bitch. Being so emotional and sentimental was a pain in the ass sometimes. But as he glanced to his counterpart, the harder hearted brother, he noticed even he too looked a little misty-eyed. She had basically said they were the reason for her wanting to make good with God, to fucking thank him for them. It made them feel all sorts of good and they both reached out, taking her hands in unison. She braved a glance at them and her breathing hitched a little, seeing the adoration on their faces as they smiled at her. They looked at her like a rare penny or something, like she was a treasure, something fascinating that they'd never seen before. Like they'd found something no one else had ever seen. It was overwhelming. She gave them a shy smile, cheeks flushing once more before she took her hands back, going back to her food. The boys could tell she felt a little overwhelmed and even awkward, so they went back to a lighter mood, ribbing each other for anything and everything to make her laugh over breakfast. She was grateful for their ability to be goofs, even right after intense things. It made her feel easier about everything. Being with the pair was intense and it made her head spin sometimes, but they read her just as well as she read them and they always knew when to make things less serious, being the usual silly MacManus twins.

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